The U.S. heads into the Fourth of July weekend with many parades and fireworks displays canceled, beaches and bars closed, and health authorities warning that this will be a crucial test of Americans’ self-control.
They say this could determine the trajectory of the surging coronavirus outbreak. With confirmed cases climbing in 40 states, governors have ordered the wearing of masks in public, and families are being urged to celebrate their independence at home.
Even then, they are being told to keep their backyard cookouts small.
President Trump's speech and fireworks at Mount Rushmore came against the backdrop of a pandemic that has killed over 129,000 Americans. The president flew across the nation to gather a big crowd of supporters, most of them maskless and all of them flouting public health guidelines that recommend not gathering in large groups.
The discord was heightened as the Trump campaign confirmed during the president's speech that Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top fundraiser for the campaign and the girlfriend of Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr., had tested positive for the coronavirus while in South Dakota. Both Guilfoyle and Trump Jr., who serves as a top surrogate for the president, are isolating themselves and have canceled public events, according to Sergio Gor, chief of staff to the Trump campaign’s finance committee.
Meanwhile, the U.S. set another record on Friday with 52,300 newly reported cases, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Arizona, California, Florida and Texas have been hit especially hard.
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:
Texas Has Its Biggest Daily Rise in Virus Cases
Texas has reported its biggest daily increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases — 8,258. Hospitalizations also continue to climb.
Much of Texas began mandating face coverings Friday on the orders of Gov. Greg Abbott. The mask order carries a $250 fine. The order is the most dramatic about-face that Abbott has made as he retreats from what stood out as one of America’s swiftest reopenings.
Texas health officials on Saturday said the state’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases is now at 191,790. State health officials also reported 33 additional deaths linked to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. That brings Texas’ total to 2,608 deaths. Hospitalizations stood at 7,890 on Saturday, an increase of 238 from Friday.
Florida's New Coronavirus Cases Break Record
The Fourth of July holiday weekend began Saturday with some sobering numbers in the Sunshine State: Florida logged a record number of people testing positive for the coronavirus.
State health officials reported 11,445 new cases, a single-day record. The latest count brings the total number of cases in the state to 190,052. A website maintained by the Department of Health shows an additional 245 hospitalizations from the outbreak. More than 3,700 people in Florida have died.
Local officials and health experts are worried that people will gather over this July 4 holiday weekend and spread the virus through close contact. They've tried to mitigate spread by shutting bars statewide. Some regional attractions, such as Zoo Miami and Jungle Island, have closed. Universal Studios in Orlando is open.
Mayor Carlos Gimenez closed Miami-Dade County beaches through the July 4 holiday weekend. Municipalities elsewhere in South Florida, from Vero Beach to Broward County, did the same. Beaches in the Florida Keys are also closed. Public beaches along Pinellas County’s 35 miles of sand are open.
The number of patients requiring ventilators in Miami-Dade County has increased from 61 two weeks ago to 158 on Saturday, according to Miami-Dade figures posted by the county online. The highest number of patients on ventilators was 198, on April 9.
WHO Ending Hydroxycholorquine Trial for COVID
The World Health Organization says it is ending a trial into whether anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine helps patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
WHO said Saturday it has “accepted the recommendation” from the committee overseeing the trial to discontinue testing of hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir, a drug combination used to treat HIV/AIDS. The drugs were being compared with standard care for hospitalized patients.
WHO says a review of the interim results showed hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir “produce little or no reduction in the mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients when compared to standard of care.”
The agency adds that while there was no “solid evidence” of increased mortality for hospitalized patients given the drugs, there were “some associated safety signals in the clinical laboratory findings” of an associated trial.
WHO says the decision won’t affect possible trials on patients who aren’t hospitalized, or on those receiving the drugs before potential exposure to the coronavirus or shortly afterward.
Governor Newsom Warns California Officials To Enforce Health Rules
California Gov. Gavin Newsom warned local elected officials on Friday they risk state sanctions if they don't enforce health orders as the coronavirus pandemic worsens, while about 200 state inspectors fanned out to look for violators over the long holiday weekend.
“A local government that refuses to abide by, ensure compliance with, or take enforcement action against noncompliance with these statewide public health directives, or that takes action that is otherwise incongruent with these directives, could jeopardize their eligibility for state funding,” Newsom said in letters to local officials.
The state budget that took effect this week includes $2.5 billion intended to help local governments pay for services that are needed because of the pandemic. But it is contingent on them following emergency health orders designed to slow the spread of the virus.
Law enforcement and other officials in some areas have publicly said they will not enforce the state health orders. But Newsom noted that it is a misdemeanor to violate state or local emergency orders or most local ordinances and encouraged “all peace officers” to enforce the orders.
“We are in unprecedented times,” he wrote, saying it is important to fight the pandemic “as a unified California.”
Chicago to Ask Travelers to 'Do the Right Thing' by Quarantining
The city of Chicago warned of fines of $100 to $500 per day -- up to $7,000 -- for anyone who violates a new emergency travel order requiring a 14-day quarantine for those arriving from states now experiencing a rise in coronavirus cases.
But the city won't be enforcing its quarantine order set to take effect Monday by pulling over people with out-of-state plates or creating a list of travelers, NBC Chicago reported.
"We really are asking people primarily to do the right thing here," Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said.
As of Thursday, states included in the order were: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.
Jimmie Johnson 1st NASCAR Driver to Test Positive
Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss this weekend's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 44-year-old Johnson is the first driver in any NASCAR series to test positive and the news Friday evening cast a shadow over the historic NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader races coming up Saturday and Sunday. There was no indication any races would be affected.
Hendrick Motorsports said Johnson will not return until he is cleared by a physician. He was tested earlier Friday after his wife, Chani, tested positive after experiencing allergy-like symptoms.
Johnson is asymptomatic.
"My first priority is the health and safety of my loved ones and my teammates,” Johnson said. “I’ve never missed a race in my Cup career, but I know it’s going to be very hard to watch from the sidelines when I’m supposed to be out there competing. Although this situation is extremely disappointing, I’m going to come back ready to win races and put ourselves in playoff contention.”
Alabama Health Officials Can't Verify 'COVID Party' Reports
The Alabama Department of Public Health said it could not verify reports of so-called COVID-19 parties where students deliberately tried to become infected, but also warned people not to try it.
Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry told news outlets this week that she heard of students holding parties and wagering over who would become infected.
The department said it could not verify any parties where persons tried to contract COVID-19 but warned that it is a dangerous and sometimes deadly virus.
“Persons should not willfully expose themselves to this virus both for their own health and the health of others,” the department said.
Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith told the City Council on Tuesday that fire officials confirmed some students had attended parties despite knowing they were infected. The department thought the parties were rumors, but Smith said after some research, officials discovered they were real.
The Department of Public Health said people with COVID-19 are to remain in home quarantine and could be fined for violating quarantine.
Florida Adds Nearly 9,500 New Cases, Miami 11-Year-Old Becomes State's Youngest Death
Florida's total number of coronavirus cases pushed closer to 180,000 Friday, with nearly 9,500 new cases reported on Friday, NBC Miami reported.
More than 55,300 of the cases were confirmed just in the past week. The seven-day average for daily fatalities is now back over 40, a 30% increase from two weeks ago.
Among those who died this week was Miami 11-year-old Daequan Wimberly, the state's youngest COVID-19-related fatality.
“I would just like for the world to know how he loved everybody," his father Jerry Wimberly, now hospitalized with COVID-19 himself, told NBC Miami.
Miami-Dade is the state's hardest-hit country and announced Thursday it will impose a curfew beginning at 10 p.m. Friday.
Dr. David De La Zerda, who oversees intensive care units at Jackson Health Systems in Miami-Dade, said patients are skewing younger and, in some cases, getting sicker than older patients did during the first influx of COVID patients.
"I do expect things are going to get worse in the next few weeks," he told NBC Miami about the influx of new patients.
Surgeon General Calls for Wearing Face Coverings During Holiday, Won't Advise Against Large Gatherings
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of the higher risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and spreading the coronavirus at public gatherings.
But Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams wouldn't flat out recommend against attending one, telling NBC's Craig Melvin on TODAY Friday that "every single person needs to make up their own mind."
"There are people going to beaches, going to barbecues, going to different environments and they have to look at their individual risk," Adams said about the July 4 holiday weekend. "As you mentioned, CDC says larger gatherings are a higher risk. You have to take that into account again with whether or not you're at risk, whether you live with someone who is vulnerable and then you have to take measures to stay safe."
Adams said the most important thing people going out could do to protect themselves and others is to wear a face covering.
Three months ago, Adams had downplayed the need for people to wear face coverings. That was "outdated information" and what changed is the knowledge that up to half of virus cases may be spread asymptomatically, Adams said Friday.
Many young people who are not showing symptoms of the virus are now spreading the virus, he said.
"If you want college football in the fall, young people, please wear a face covering," Adams said." If you want prom next year, please wear a face covering."
Still, Adams stopped short of saying that face coverings should be mandated, even at large public gatherings like the fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore that President Donald Trump is set to attend later Friday.
Adams said he wasn't against state and local officials mandating coverings but was concerned that young people, in particular, might disregard being told they have to do so.
"If you make something mandatory, many of them will rebel and do something different," he said.
The comments come as leaders with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, National Retail Federation and other business groups wrote an open letter urging the White House to work with governors on national guidelines for mask mandates in public places, Axios reported.
Virus Concerns Grow as Crowds Flocking to Jersey Shore
With coronavirus-related restrictions being eased and temperatures climbing, people are flocking back to the Jersey Shore.
And with the July Fourth holiday on the horizon, that’s making some people nervous, particularly given the large crowds and poor compliance with mandated measures to help slow the spread of the virus that have surfaced at some popular shore spots recently.
Several bars have hosted large crowds close together with few patrons wearing masks.
“We cannot let up on our social distancing or our responsibility just because the sun is out,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. “We can’t be lulled into complacency and think it’s OK to crowd around a bar. That is how flare-ups happen.”
A more promising development surfaced Thursday when five of Atlantic City's nine casinos reopened, and gamblers overwhelmingly complied with mask and social distancing requirements.
New York and New Jersey are no longer among the few currently on track to contain COVID-19, losing ground they had just a week ago, according to Covid Act Now, which uses real-time modeling and metrics to assess the nation's standing in the war against the novel coronavirus, NBC New York reported.
Read a full story about Jersey Shore reopening fears here.
How Coronavirus Has Grown in Each State — in 1 Chart
This chart shows the cumulative number of cases per state by number of days since the 10th case.
COVID-19 Cases Among Military Service Members on the Rise
US service members are seeing a spike in coronavirus cases, according to the latest numbers from the Department of Defense.
The Assistant Defense Secretary for Health Affairs, Dr. Jonathan Woodson, said COVID-19 spikes in the military are mirroring the spikes seen among civilians in Florida, Texas, and parts of California, NBC San Diego reported.
Military cases rose in June with a 27% increase in infections among service members this past week, according to the Military Times.
As of Thursday, 6,493 active service members have coronavirus, the Department of Defense said. Of the 12,521 total military cases, three have resulted in death. The Army has been the hardest hit among military branches with 3,836 cases.
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